New International Version
Isaiah 31:1
1Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord.
Isaiah 31:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the Lord!
- English Standard Version (ESV)Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help and rely on horses, who trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel or consult the Lord!
- New King James Version (NKJV)Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, And rely on horses, Who trust in chariots because they are many, And in horsemen because they are very strong, But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the Lord!
- New Living Translation (NLT)What sorrow awaits those who look to Egypt for help, trusting their horses, chariots, and charioteers and depending on the strength of human armies instead of looking to the Lord, the Holy One of Israel.
Context of Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, who rely on horses, who trust in the multitude of their chariots and in the great strength of their horsemen, but do not look to the Holy One of Israel, or seek help from the Lord. 2Yet he too is wise and can bring disaster; he does not take back his words. He will rise up against that wicked nation, against those who help evildoers. 3But the Egyptians are mere mortals and not God; their horses are flesh and not spirit. When the Lord stretches out his hand, those who help will stumble, those who are helped will fall; all will perish together.
Read all of Isaiah 31Isaiah 31:1 word by word
ה֣וֹי הַיֹּרְדִ֤ים מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לְעֶזְרָ֔ה עַל־סוּסִ֖ים יִשָּׁעֵ֑נוּ וַיִּבְטְח֨וּ עַל־רֶ֜כֶב כִּ֣י רָ֗ב וְעַ֤ל פָּֽרָשִׁים֙ כִּֽי־עָצְמ֣וּ מְאֹ֔ד וְלֹ֤א שָׁעוּ֙ עַל־קְד֣וֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־יְהוָ֖ה לֹ֥א דָרָֽשׁוּ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Woeהוֹיhôy · woe!H1945
- to them that go downיָרַדyârad · to go downH3381
- to Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- for helpעֶזְרָה‛ezrâh ‛ezrâth · helpH5833
- and stayשָׁעַןshâ‛an · to leanH8172
- on horsesסוּסsûs sûs · horseH5483
- and trustבָּטַחbâţach · to trustH982
- in chariotsרֶ֫כֶבrekeb · chariotH7393
- manyרַבrab · manyH7227
- and in horsemenפָּרָשׁpârâsh · horsemanH6571
- because they are veryמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- strongעָצֹם‛âtsam · be vastH6105
- but they lookשָׁעָהshâ‛âh · to gazeH8159
- not unto the Holy Oneקָדוֹשׁqâdôsh qâdôsh · holyH6918
- of Israelיִשְׂרָאֵלyiώrâ'êl · IsraelH3478
- neither seekדָּרַשׁdârash · to seekH1875
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
Cross-references for Isaiah 31:1
- Isaiah 30:1“Woe to the obstinate children,” declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit, heaping sin upon sin;
- Isaiah 36:6Look, I know you are depending on Egypt, that splintered reed of a staff, which pierces the hand of anyone who leans on it! Such is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all who depend on him.
- Isaiah 57:9You went to Molek with olive oil and increased your perfumes. You sent your ambassadors far away; you descended to the very realm of the dead!
- Ezekiel 17:15But the king rebelled against him by sending his envoys to Egypt to get horses and a large army. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Will he break the treaty and yet escape?
- Hosea 11:5“Will they not return to Egypt and will not Assyria rule over them because they refuse to repent?
- Isaiah 30:16You said, ‘No, we will flee on horses.’ Therefore you will flee! You said, ‘We will ride off on swift horses.’ Therefore your pursuers will be swift!
- Isaiah 36:9How then can you repulse one officer of the least of my master’s officials, even though you are depending on Egypt for chariots and horsemen?
- Deuteronomy 17:16The king, moreover, must not acquire great numbers of horses for himself or make the people return to Egypt to get more of them, for the Lord has told you, “You are not to go back that way again.”
- Psalms 20:7Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
- Psalms 33:16No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength.
- Isaiah 5:12They have harps and lyres at their banquets, pipes and timbrels and wine, but they have no regard for the deeds of the Lord, no respect for the work of his hands.
- Isaiah 17:7In that day people will look to their Maker and turn their eyes to the Holy One of Israel.
- Isaiah 22:11You built a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the Old Pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or have regard for the One who planned it long ago.
- 2 Chronicles 16:7At that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the Lord your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.
- Jeremiah 2:13“My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water.
- Jeremiah 17:5This is what the Lord says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord.
Commentaries on Isaiah 31:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Wo to them that go down to Egypt - This is a reproof to the Israelites for forming an alliance with the Egyptians, and not trusting in the Lord. And stay on horses "Who trust in horses" - For ועל veal, and upon, first twenty MSS. of Kennicott's, thirty of De Rossi's, one of my own, and the Septuagint, Arabic, and Vulgate, read על al, upon, without the conjunction, which disturbs the sense.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Wo - (see the note at Isaiah 30:1). To them that go down to Egypt - (see the note at Isaiah 30:2). And stay on horses - (see the note at Isaiah 30:16). And trust in chariots - (see the note at Isaiah 21:7). That they were often used in war, is apparent from the following places Joshua 11:4; Judges 1:19; 1 Samuel 13:5; 2 Samuel 8:4. Because they are many - Because they hope to secure the aid of many. See the references above. It is evident that their…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The sin and folly of seeking help from Egypt. (Is. 31:1-5) God's care for Jerusalem. (Is. 31:6-9) Verses 1-5 God will oppose the help sought from workers of iniquity. Sinners may be convicted of folly by plain and self-evident truths, which they cannot deny, but will not believe. There is no escaping the judgments of God; and evil pursues sinners. The Lord of hosts will come down to fight for Mount Zion. The Lion of the tribe of Judah will appear for the…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1Woe: This is the fifth of the six woes (see study note on Isaiah 28:1–33:24). seek the LORD: This suggests seeking God's guidance with a worshipful attitude (see Deuteronomy 4:29; Psalm 105:3–4).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91. and stay on horses, and trust in chariots--In their level and fertile plains horses could easily be used and fed (Ex 14:9; 1Ki 10:28). In hilly Palestine horses were not so easily had or available. The Jews were therefore the more eager to get Egyptian chariots as allies against the Assyrian cavalry. In Assyrian sculptures chariots are represented drawn by three horses, and with three men in them (see Is 36:9; Psa 20:7; Da 9:13).Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 31:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 31
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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